Self-deploying floodwall

ABSTRACT

A self-deploying apparatus that is constructed onshore as a permanent structure that can protect against intruding seawater and floodwaters without creating a physical and visual obstruction to and from the waterfront during normal times.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to floodwalls and more specifically to improvements thereto for making a floodwall system that is activated and deployed at the onset of flooding upon contact with floodwaters.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many coastal areas require protection from flooding by the sea during storms and hurricanes or in the case of a Tsunami. Sea level rise due to global warming is increasing the frequency of coastal flooding, particularly in low lying and flat beach areas. Similarly, many developed areas in river floodplains require protection from flooding during high flows. Various types of barricades are used to protect coastal areas and floodplains from flooding. These are either permanent structures in the form of floodwalls, seawalls, dikes, and levees, or are temporary barricades such as sand bags or other portable barriers in various shapes, forms, and materials.

Permanent flood protection structures create a physical and visual obstruction to and from the waterfront, which makes them infeasible in populated low lying and flat beach areas where flood protection is most needed. Temporary flood protection structures have limited application, long response time, and entail significant effort and cost for deployment.

Therefore, there is a need for a practical and cost effective means of flood protection that does not create a permanent physical and visual obstruction to and from the waterfront, has wide ranging application in flood protection, and does not entail significant effort and cost for deployment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an answer to the above stated need with a new type of cantilever floodwall, which improves the design and functionality of conventional cantilever floodwalls while fully complying with their engineering principles as described in the US Army Corp of Engineers Engineering Manual EM 1110-2-2502 dated 29 Sep. 1989. The differentiating feature of the present invention is that it replaces the fixed stem of conventional cantilever floodwalls with a stem that lays down flat at or belowground during normal non-flood times such that it does not create any physical and visual obstructions above ground. This makes the present invention feasible in areas where a permanent aboveground floodwall would be infeasible and unacceptable for a whole host of reasons. The stem of the present invention self-deploys to the vertical upright position, solely by the action of the floodwaters by gradually rotating and rising up in the direction of the intruding floodwaters towards the vertical position, while simultaneously providing flood protection as it rises to its maximum design height in the full vertical position.

The above-described feature of the present invention is realized by the stem of the present invention being constructed to be buoyant such that it floats in water, and pivoted at ground level having freedom of rotation from the horizontal ground level on the water side up to the vertical position and back down. The stem is comprised of individual segments longitudinally, with each segment counterbalanced about a cylindrical pivot at ground level in a seesaw configuration. Individual concrete compartments belowground house the counterbalancing portion of each stem segment. The cylindrical pivots of each stem segment are mounted on a watertight seat on the upper waterside corner of each compartment, with the aboveground portion of the stem segment extending out above ground. Adjacent stem segments are separated by a small gap, and are attached to one another with elastic sheet material, which gives the stem longitudinal flexibility and seals the gap between the segments.

The stem normally resides in the rotated down position within a porous pre-excavated shallow trench, with a small depth of native soil or other cover over it. During flood, water enters the trench at a certain design elevation imposing uplift and momentum force on the stem. This forces the stem to rotate up towards the vertical deployed position, while simultaneously providing flood protection as it rises. Spring-loaded dampeners inside each concrete compartment, in-between the counterbalancing portion of each segment and the waterside wall of the concrete compartment, transfer the forces upon the stem to the concrete compartment, restrict the rotational speed of the stem, dampen stem oscillations, and prevent slamming The waterside wall of the concrete compartments provides the reaction for the forces imposed by floodwaters on the aboveground portion of the stem via the spring-loaded dampeners when the stem is in partially raised position, and by direct contact when the stem is in the fully deployed vertical position. The stem body is constructed from structural materials to safely withstand the maximum bending moment and shear forces, which occur at the pivot. The stem may be designed to automatically rotate back to the down position with receding water or remain locked in place as it rises for maintenance after a flood event before manually being brought down.

The above-described functionality of the present invention, in which the stem resides belowground during normal times and self-deploys upon start of flooding, removes the physical and visual obstruction of conventional floodwalls, making the present invention feasible in flat coastal regions and flood-prone areas along and in river floodplains.

It is an object of this invention to provide a water-activated and self-deploying permanent floodwall system that can protect against intruding seawater and floodwaters without creating a physical and visual obstruction to and from the waterfront during normal times.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved elements and arrangements by apparatus for the purposes described thereof, which is comparable in cost with existing systems, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention with the stem in the down position.

FIG. 2 is a plan view diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention showing the foundation and the concrete compartments where the counterbalancing portion of the stem segments reside.

FIG. 3 is a plan view diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention showing the arrangement of the individual stem segments on the foundation and concrete compartments with the stem in the down position.

FIG. 4 is a plan view diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention with the stem in the down position showing elastic sheeting material that covers the gap between the stem segments and seals the concrete compartments.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention as it self-deploys with rising floodwater.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention with the stem in the fully deployed vertical position.

FIG. 7 is a plan view diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention with the stem in the fully deployed vertical position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention in the form of self-deploying floodwall apparatus 100 that is constructed onshore as a permanent structure at a predetermined distance away from flood prone waters 141. The apparatus comprised of longitudinally connected stem segments 111 that are buoyant and normally reside in the down position inside the porous pre-excavated shallow trench 121, with a small depth of cover from native soil 122 over it. It will be appreciated that this inconspicuous arrangement arises from the fact that each stem segment 111 is buoyant due to internal voids for example, and therefore may be devoid of structure which if present would project either towards the water or which would project away from the water from the opposed side of the stem segment 111.

The stem segments 111, of which any number may be provided depending upon the length of the floodwall apparatus 100, collectively or individually when only one is provided, provide a barrier to rising flood waters 141. Each stem segment has a counterbalancing portion 112 with counterweights 113 that reduce the weight of the stem down to the desired level for satisfactory deployment, or alternatively stated, generally counteracts a moment which would otherwise act about the shaft and bearings arrangement 114 as the stem segment 111 rises due to buoyancy responsive to rising flood waters. The counterbalancing portion of the stem segments 111 may be housed below ground inside individual concrete compartments 131 connected to the foundation 132, which is of course disposed proximate the flood prone waters 141.

The stem segments 111 may be independently supported on a shaft and bearings arrangement 114 that form the center of the cylindrical pivot 115 mounted on the upper waterside corner concrete compartment 131. The concrete compartment 131 serves as a housing having an open interior and an external wall disposed to exclude the flood prone water from the shaft and bearings arrangement 114 which is contained in and thus sheltered by the housing. The housing, regardless of whether it takes the exemplary form of the concrete compartment 131, may be fixed to and even integral with the foundation 132. The stem segments 111 are pivotally supported on the shaft and bearings arrangement 114 so as to be able to move between a stowed position shown in FIG. 1 which is generally parallel to the flood prone water and a deployed position shown in FIG. 6, in which the stem segments 111 are generally vertical. Each stem segment 111 has a water facing side when the stem segment is in the deployed position and an opposed side. It is acknowledged that a floodwall apparatus 100 could be erected on a structure such as a dike or berm (not shown) which abuts or separates two bodies of water. Therefore, it will be understood that as employed herein, the “water facing side” will refer to that side which faces that body of water which is subject to rising water levels and from which protection is desired.

It will be recognized that when housed within the concrete compartment 131, the shaft and bearings arrangement 114 is ultimately fixed to or supported by the foundation 132. This signifies that the shaft and bearings arrangement 114 may be directly mounted to the foundation 132 or alternatively, there may be one or more intervening elements between the shaft and bearings arrangement 114 and the foundation 132.

Elastic sheeting 151 seals the cylindrical pivot 115 against water and particle penetration or entry between the foundation 132 and each stem segment 111, when the stem segment 111 is in the deployed position, and more specifically in the embodiment of FIG. 1, into the concrete compartment on both sides thereof along the length of the stem segments 111. The ends (not shown) of the stem segments 111 may be rendered resistant to entry of water in any suitable way, and may use but need not be limited to use of elastic sheeting 151. Spring-loaded dampeners 116 damp otherwise unopposed pivot of the stem segments 111 about the shaft and bearings arrangement 114, thereby restricting the rotational speed of the stem segments 111 during rise and fall, dampen stem segment oscillations, and prevent slamming The waterside wall of the concrete compartment 131 ultimately counters the forces imposed by floodwaters on the aboveground portion of the stem segment 111, via the spring-loaded dampeners 116 when the stem is in partially raised position, and by direct contact when the stem segment 111 is in the fully deployed vertical position (e.g., as seen in FIG. 6).

FIG. 2 is the plan view section marked on FIG. 1 showing the foundation 132 and the concrete compartments 131 where the counterbalancing portion of the stem segments reside. FIG. 3 is the plan view section marked on FIG. 1 showing the arrangement of the individual stem segments 111 on the foundation 132 and concrete compartments 131 with the stem segments 111 in the down position inside the porous pre-excavated shallow trench 121. The stem segments are independently supported on a shaft and bearings 114 that form the center of the cylindrical pivot 115 mounted on the upper waterside corner concrete compartment 131. Each stem segment has a counterbalancing portion 112 with counterweights 113 that reduce the weight of the stem down to the desired level for satisfactory deployment. Spring-loaded dampeners 116 restrict the rotational speed of the stem during rise and fall, dampen stem oscillations, and prevent slamming FIG. 4 is the plan view section marked on FIG. 1 showing the stem segments 111 in the down position inside the porous pre-excavated shallow trench 121 and the elastic sheeting material 151 that covers the gap between the stem segments and seals the stem segments against the concrete compartments 131.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention as it self-deploys with rising floodwater. The longitudinally connected stem segments 111 that are buoyant and normally reside in the down position inside the porous pre-excavated shallow trench 121, rise up by floatation as flood water 141 enters and tops the trench 121. The counterbalancing portion of each stem 112 and counterweights 113 reduce the weight of the stem down to the desired level to ensure satisfactory deployment at the design floodwater elevation. The counterbalancing portion of the stem segments are housed below ground inside individual concrete compartments 131 connected to the foundation 132. The stem segments are independently supported on a shaft and bearings arrangement 114 that form the center of the cylindrical pivot 115 mounted on the upper waterside corner concrete compartment 131. Elastic sheeting 151 seals the cylindrical pivot 115 against water and particle entry into the concrete compartment on both sides. Spring-loaded dampeners 116 restrict the rotational speed of the stem during rise and fall, dampen stem oscillations, and prevent slamming The waterside wall of the concrete compartment 131 counters the forces imposed by floodwaters on the aboveground portion of the stem, via the spring-loaded dampeners 116 when the stem is in partially raised position.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention in the fully deployed vertical position. The longitudinally connected stem segments 111 that are buoyant and normally reside in the down position inside the porous pre-excavated shallow trench 121, have risen up by floatation as a result of flood water 141 entering and toping the trench 121. The counterbalancing portion of each stem 112 and counterweights 113 rest against the waterside wall of concrete compartments 131, which is connected to the foundation 132. Shaft and bearings 114 form the center of the cylindrical pivot 115 mounted on the upper waterside corner concrete compartment 131. Elastic sheeting 151 seals the cylindrical pivot 115 against water and particle entry into the concrete compartment 131 on both sides. Spring-loaded dampeners 116 are in the fully contracted position. The waterside wall of the concrete compartment 131 counters the forces imposed by floodwaters on the aboveground portion of the stem by direct contact with the counterbalancing portion of each stem 112.

FIG. 5 is the plan view of the present invention showing the stems segments 111 in the fully deployed vertical position roughly perpendicular to shallow trench 121 with the elastic sheeting material 151 that covering the gap between the stem segments and sealing the stem segments against the concrete compartments 131 connected to foundation 132.

The present invention is susceptible to modifications and variations which may be introduced thereto without departing from the inventive concepts and the object of the invention. Mechanisms other than those described may be employed to accomplish the main object of the present invention, which is to provide a self-deploying floodwall system that can protect against intruding seawater and floodwaters without creating a physical and visual obstruction to and from the waterfront during normal times. Such modifications and variations are within the invention concepts.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible. 

1. A self-deploying floodwall apparatus comprising: a foundation disposed proximate flood prone water; a shaft and bearings arrangement which is ultimately fixed to the foundation; and at least one stem segment which is pivotally supported on the shaft and bearings arrangement so as to be able to move between a stowed position which is generally parallel to the flood prone water and a deployed position which is generally vertical, wherein the stem segment provides a barrier having a water facing side when the stem segment is in the deployed position and an opposed side; wherein the stem segment is buoyant and devoid of structure which projects towards the water and devoid of structure which projects from the opposed side.
 2. The self-deploying floodwall apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a counterweight disposed to generally counteract a moment which would otherwise act about the shaft and bearings arrangement as the stem segment rises due to buoyancy responsive to rising flood waters.
 3. The self-deploying floodwall apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a dampener which damps otherwise unopposed pivot of the stem segment about the shaft and bearings arrangement.
 4. The self-deploying floodwall apparatus of claim 1, further comprising elastic sheeting disposed to seal against penetration of the flood prone water between the foundation and the stem segment along the length of the stem segment when the stem segment is in the deployed position.
 5. A self-deploying floodwall apparatus comprising: a foundation disposed proximate flood prone water; a housing having an open interior and an external wall disposed to exclude the flood prone water, which is fixed to the foundation; a shaft and bearings arrangement which is contained within the housing; and at least one stem segment which is pivotally supported on the shaft and bearings arrangement so as to be able to move between a stowed position which is generally parallel to the flood prone water and a deployed position which is generally vertical, wherein the stem segment provides a barrier having a water facing side when the stem segment is in the deployed position and an opposed side.
 6. The self-deploying floodwall apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a counterweight disposed to generally counteract a moment which would otherwise act about the shaft and bearings arrangement as the stem segment rises due to buoyancy responsive to rising flood waters.
 7. The self-deploying floodwall apparatus of claim 5, further comprising dampener which damps otherwise unopposed pivot of the stem segment about the shaft and bearings arrangement.
 8. The self-deploying floodwall apparatus of claim 5, further comprising elastic sheeting disposed to seal against penetration of the flood prone water between the foundation and the stem segment along the length of the stem segment when the stem segment is in the deployed position.
 9. A self-deploying floodwall apparatus comprising: a foundation disposed proximate flood prone water; a shaft and bearings arrangement which is ultimately fixed to the foundation; and at least one stem segment which is pivotally supported on the shaft and bearings arrangement so as to be able to move between a stowed position which is generally parallel to the flood prone water and a deployed position which is generally vertical, wherein the stem segment further comprises a counterweight disposed opposite the shaft from the stem segment, and wherein the stem segment provides a barrier having a water facing side when the stem segment is in the deployed position and an opposed side.
 10. The self-deploying floodwall apparatus of claim 9, further comprising dampener which damps otherwise unopposed pivot of the stem segment about the shaft and bearings arrangement.
 11. The self-deploying floodwall apparatus of claim 9, further comprising elastic sheeting disposed to seal against penetration of the flood prone water between the foundation and the stem segment along the length of the stem segment when the stem segment is in the deployed position. 